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CE Webster

It’s getting cold outside and winter is slowly approaching! Your little feathered friends will be feeling it, too! The winter brings the birds a limited supply of water. Birds need water for drinking, bathing and preening. An excellent way to help birds in the winter is to provide the birds with a heated bird bath. This will supply the birds with the liquid water that they need in the cold weather.

Heated bird baths are operated by thermostats, similar to your home heating unit, and as the temperature falls to specific levels the unit will turn on and heat the water. The advantage of the thermostat is that the heating element is only used when needed. To eliminate electric all together, a solar bird bath can be used.

Heated Deck Rail Bird Bath

Heated bird baths come in many different styles, colors, sizes and designs. It is easy to choose one that will be well-suited to your special bird feeding area.

The distinct styles of heated bird baths include deck mounted, ground level, hanging, standing or pedestal models. This provides birders with many different options and placement opportunities.

A dark colored heated bird bath works better in the winter. The two advantages of the dark color is that it absorbs more solar radiation so it uses less electricity and it can be seen more easily by the birds in the snow.

The size of the heated bird bath will determine the variety of birds that it will attract. A smaller bird bath will limit the number of birds, while a larger bird bath will attract a wider variety of birds. A bird bath will attract different birds that you would not normally see at your bird feeder.

Heated bird baths can be purchased in a number of unique designs. Some of the many designs are: bird bath spas, tilt and clean, bird bath fountains, 2-tier solar bird baths, sculpted bird baths, drippers, misters, wigglers and bubblers to name a few.

Remember to keep the bird bath clean and keep the rim clear of snow. This winter provide the birds with a heated bird bath and they will provide you with hours of entertainment.

A good pair of binoculars is one of the most important tools for bird watching. Binoculars allows close up views of birds in their natural habitat. The right binoculars makes it easy to see birds nesting, feeding and flying in the distance.

The first thing to look for in a new pair of binoculars is a good quality lens. Find a binocular that shows no signs of image distortion or color changes when viewing objects. A change in color through the binoculars would make identifying birds a much more difficult process.

The next feature to consider is the magnification and the size of the lens. Many bird watchers prefer the 7×35, 7×42 or 8×42 binocular; the lens allows sufficient light into the optics and are lightweight while hiking and bird watching. The 7x means that you are seeing your object 7 times closer than with the naked eye. An 8x or 10x magnification brings images closer, but the drawback to the 8x or 10x is that they are a heavier binocular to be lugging around to watch birds. The 35, 40, 42, 50 numbers that follows the magnification is the diameter of the lens in millimeters. The larger the diameter of the lens the sharper and brighter the object. Don’t forget the weight that comes along with the larger lens, too.

The binoculars’ exit pupil is a guide to the image brightness. For watching birds in the day a 3 or 5 exit pupil is fine. An exit pupil around 7 is used in low light situations like for astronomy. To figure out the exit pupil just divide the magnification into the diameter of the lens (ie. 7×35 would be a 5 exit pupil).

One more thing to consider when finding the right binoculars for bird watching, though not the last thing to consider, is the ease of the central focus mechanism. Look for a pair of binoculars that has the center focus wheel and make sure that the wheel turns easily and smoothly.

These are some of the main factors to keep in mind when you are out looking for the right binoculars for bird watching. The right binoculars will make your adventure so much more fun.

Nikon Monarch 5 Binoculars

Your Bird Feeder recommends the Nikon 7294 Monarch III 8×42 Binocular. The Monarch 7294 features a sharper and brighter image. The low-light performance of the Nikon Monarch has been drastically improved. The weight of these binoculars and the focusing mechanism are excellent for bird watching. Take a look at the Nikon Monarch ATB Binoculars here.

UPDATE: Nikon has changed the name of the Nikon Monarch ATB III to Nikon Monarch 5

The ruby-throated hummingbirds are filling in the southern areas of the United States. In February, the ruby-throated hummingbirds were first seen in the Gulf of Mexico area around Mississippi and Florida. The destination for some of these tiny creatures will be as far north as Nova Scotia, Labrador, Saskatchewan, Alberta and Manitoba. To see the hummingbird’s progress so far, go to the Ruby-Throated Hummingbirds Spring 2011 Migration Map. On March 25th, the ruby-throated hummingbirds were spotted in Ohio for the first time this year.

Ruby-Throated Hummingbird At The Hummingbird Feeder

Last year the ruby-throated hummingbird traveled west into the mid section of Texas. How far west will they venture this year? It will be interesting to see!

Watch the ruby-throated hummingbird migrate around the Allegheny Mountains. They will go around the mountain areas in parts of Virginia, West Virginia, Pennsylvania and Maryland. Will they take this route this year?

Did you know these facts about the ruby-throated hummingbird? Their heart rate can get up to 1260 beats per minute and the hummingbird has the largest brain percentage-wise in relationship to total body weight.

It’s not too early to put the hummingbird feeder out. They will definitely need a few sips on their way up north after their long trip from Mexico or Panama.

Visit my other posts for more information on Ruby-Throated Hummingbird Spring 2011 North American Migration and prepare your hummingbird feeder for the Ruby-Throated Hummingbird.